The island nation of Indonesia straddles the equator between the Indian and Pacific Oceans and lies at the heart of the ‘Coral Triangle’ - the epicentre of the world’s marine biodiversity. Nowhere on earth can visitors experience such a range of spectacular diving - from encounters with huge whale sharks and oceanic manta rays, to muck dives with beautiful Rhinopias and the exceedingly rare psychedelic frogfish.

Separated by the South China Sea, Malaysia is divided into Peninsula Malaysia on the Asian mainland, and East Malaysia in Borneo. Both parts of this fascinating country offer a wealth of different destinations - from beautiful islands and deep jungles, to modern cities and villages steeped in history.

There is nowhere on earth quite like the Maldives. With its pristine white sandy beaches, over-water bungalows and extensive healthy reefs, the Maldives provide front row access to a spectacular abundance of beauty and marine life - including some extraordinary big fish encounters. Comprised of over 26 ring-shaped atolls and more than 1,000 coral islands, the planet’s lowest lying country is the perfect tropical holiday destination and a worthy ‘bucket list’ addition for any discerning diver.

The Philippines is defined by its breathtaking landscapes, diverse marine life, lush rice terraces and mountain slopes, graffiti-splashed jeepneys, and the smiling, friendly people of this island nation. With a unique cultural heritage, experiences here are a world apart from the rest of Southeast Asia and the Philippines is fast becoming the ideal holiday destination for divers, sun worshippers and adrenaline junkies alike.

The Whale Sharks of Kalimantan

Just 20 minutes by boat from Derawan is ‘Whale shark point’, one of Kalimantan’s best kept secrets. Over the last few years, word has slowly spread of encounters with groups of these huge sharks congregating around fishing platforms - known as ‘bagan’ - to feed on anchovies that escape the nets of the fishermen. In other parts of Southeast Asia - for instance in Cendrewasih Bay in Indonesia and Donsol in the Philippines - the whale sharks gather in similar circumstances and subsequently, these locations have become major attractions. However tourism in the Derawan area remains relatively low key and encounters with these whale sharks remain a very much more relaxed experience.

The best chance to see the whale sharks is during the new moon although there is still a chance of encountering them at other times of the month. However, when the south winds are blowing during the summer months - typically mid-June to mind-September - the fishing platforms and the whale sharks move to more sheltered areas around Talisayan, roughly 2 hours from the Derawan.

To learn more about this population of whale sharks, surveys were carried out around Talisayan in 2014 and 2015 by a collaborative team of Indonesian and international scientists working for WWF, Conservation International, BPSPL and Whale Shark Indonesia. Much like a fingerprint, each whale shark has a unique pattern of spots on its skin and so the teams were able to ‘photo ID’ 27 individuals - 25 males and 2 females. In 2015, 2 males and 1 female first identified in 2014 were also seen again, suggesting that at least some of the sharks were returning to Talisayan and adding weight to the idea that these sheltered bays are likely to be an important area for the whale sharks.

Scuba Junkie Resort runs trips to snorkel with the whale sharks of Derawan in collaboration with the local village. Guests hire the boat and pay for the guide, meaning that the local community benefits directly from the presence of the sharks. Scuba Junkie is very keen for this unique encounter to remain the same for future visitors, hence developing these trips with the local villagers. The company has also adopted a strict ‘no touch’ policy when snorkelling with the whale sharks. Any guests deliberately flouting this rule is requested to leave the water and banned from any more snorkelling for the resort of the trip.

The whale sharks feed in the early morning so trips from Derawan head out from the Scuba Junkie Resort at dawn and are back in time for a quick breakfast before the normal day’s diving schedule starts. When the whale sharks are around Talisayan, the boat leaves around 5am and returns in the early afternoon, so guests will miss the normal dives. The trip to Talisayan is very much dependent on good weather as the seas can get rough when the south winds are blowing.

The local fisherman refer to the whale sharks as Labetti, or ‘Si Bintik’ meaning ‘spotted’. They believe the Labetti bring good luck as their appearance is normally followed by good catches of fish in their nets. As well as bringing luck to the fisherman, it is hoped that the whale sharks will also bring an important alternative livelihood to the local villages - one that is dependent on maintaining this population of incredible sharks for the future.

In June 2017, Scuba Junkie Sangalaki ran its inaugural ‘Whale shark week’. Guests were able to learn about these incredible fish, attend workshops with Simon Pierce from the Marine Megafauna Foundation and staff from BPSPL, as well as actually snorkel with the sharks at the local ‘bagans’.

Stay in Scuba Junkie's Water Bungalows - a little bit of luxury at an affordable price. Each bungalow comes with 24-hour electricity, fresh towels and ensuite bathrooms with showers. They also have a private balcony with sun loungers - perfect to watch the sunset and perhaps spot a turtle swimming in the shallows beneath.

The 8 day, 7 night package includes 18 dives at Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Semama and the atoll of Maratua, at the edge of Borneo's continental shelf. Day trips in search of whale shark encounters are also possible!

Full equipment rental.

All dive fees.

Breakfast, tea, coffee and water. Lunch is included on dive day trips.

Twin share accommodation in a water bungalow.

Alcoholic and soft drinks.

Dinner is not served at the resort. Guests can dine out in different warungs in the village.

Transfer to / from Tarakan at specified time.

If guests are traveling at times and dates other than the scheduled transfers, an additional fee may be charged. Minimum for additional transfer is 5 people.

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THE WHALE SHARKS OF KALIMANTAN

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